Over the past decade, spending on the NHS has risen by more than 50 per cent and the proportion of the GDP devoted to it is now close to the EU average of about 10 per cent.

However, the NHS faces a financial black hole of some £15bn-£20bn over the next five years, as it seeks to deliver the necessary efficiency savings required as a consequence of the economic downturn. This enormous challenge comes at a time when the NHS needs to respond to the healthcare demands of ageing baby-boomers.

On 29 April, just one week before the 2010 general election, the New Statesman brought together the current and potential future health ministers of the three main political parties for a timely discussion about the future of health in the UK.